5 Rules to Live by in 2012

Love Yourself

The number one commandment for any GFYMethod follower is to love yourself first and foremost. It might sound conceded to the masses, but the truth is there is nothing wrong with putting yourself as #1 in all aspects of your life. You have one body, one mind, and one life. Loving yourself to do what's BEST for you needs to be part of your daily routine just as much as brushing your teeth and showering. Decisions made through the “love yourself” rule will prove positive over time. Sounds really simple I know, but most people feel that sacrificing, pleasing others at own expense, and putting themselves last is being a caring and unselfish human being. People know they aren't striving for the top or giving themselves a shot to succeed, but the social trap called acceptance has conquered many. Think of it this way.... if people demanded the BEST from/for themselves most would avoid the headaches, pain, and negative outcomes throughout life. Cut out the fat and the negative influences. You owe it to yourself because life is too short to be second best. Ask yourself this... What am I worth?  If I'm not worthy to be #1 to myself, then how will others respect and value me?

Become Aware

In order to make correct and beneficial decisions over time one must be informed and aware. Raising ones self-awareness is the second rule for success. Without the correct information problems can't be solved effectively or correctly. The GFY Method sheds a light on societies fallacies that have been engrained in us from childhood. Our society loves the sheep and underdog that won't ask questions, demand answers, and stand up for themselves. The elephant in the room is the crying from within that goes unheard in daily life. Make the choice to become knowledgeable and learn yourself for your own gain. See what works and what doesn't and the awareness gained will be invaluable.

Dream Big

Let's clear something up right away... DREAM BIG... DREAM UNREALISTIC... DON'T STOP DREAMING. Ok now that I have your attention find it within yourself what gets that warm feeling going when you think about something you love, or desire. Being aware of yourself and your desire should paint a picture in your mind of what that dream is and go out and love the process towards that dream. Might sound cheesy, but if there is something that you truly desire to get/have then nothing will stop you from making that dream come true. If you noticed I didn't say “THINK OF BIG GOALS”. Difference between goals and dreams is the feeling we have towards them. Goals rely heavily on the outcome which can be disruptive when ups and downs occur. The journey towards a goal can be very rocky and can create doubt, frustration, and discouragement which can ultimately lead to failure. A dream on the other hand can make the journey towards an outcome more pleasurable and exciting. Hurdles will crumble because a dreamer will find a way to make that dream come true no matter what. It's all in the thinking once again. Oh and before I forget don't be realistic in your dreams. Anytime a person is "realistic” all they are doing is setting the bar lower than what's possible. None of us can predict our potential so why put an unnecessary barrier up.

Do Something

So you've done your homwork and gathered the information. Now what? Do something and do it NOW. The GFY Method is about taking action. Expanding on that thought, once a person has broken through the chains and ideas the masses swear by it's time to put the plan in action and not look back. Remember that performance is first and outcome is second. Focus, prepare, deliver... you are informed, aware, and ready to go. Action comes from confidence in oneself. Nothing just happens without action. Physics taught us that! Planning and preparing will mean nothing without delivering. This is the step that most people have a difficult time with because of doubts and the fear of failure. Focusing on the outcome will make these feelings hinder performance which in turn will affect the outcome. This yo-yo effect paralizes people to the point that no action becomes a viable plan. Instead, a person must plan, prepare, and deliver at a high level. The rest of the dominos will naturally fall as they need to.

Expect Nothing

Last but not least expect nothing from anyone or anything. Life would be boring if people or events were predictable. Too many people fall pray to the status quo or false hindsight. Your attitude, thoughts, performance, and actions are the predictable factors that can be controlled. Focusing on the things that can be controlled will save energy for the things that need attention. We aren't robots and becoming energy savers isn't a bad proposition. Too much energy and focus can be lost by focusing on what others think, do, or say so why bother yourself with that? Same idea goes for outcomes.  Do not focus solely on outcomes because success isn't guaranteed even if you are squared away. What's predictable and controllable is your attitude and performance! Once again it sounds simple, but most of us have been in exhausting situations only to wonder later on why we even put in the effort. Focus on what you can control and life becomes a lot simpler.

Happy New Year from everyone here at the GFY Method! Make 2012 YOUR year and join us on the path to freedom, success, and personal growth!

Just like I predicted: "Occupy Wall Street becomes highly collectible" http://ping.fm/XS8fX

Competition + Innovation = GFY Method. Excellent corporate example in the video that follows. http://ping.fm/63LXT

They do not love themselves, rather, they feel sorry for themselves.   How can one have dreams, goals, and hopes when they feel sorry for themselves?  #First step - one has to love themselves and say "I'm better than this!" GFYMethod “@josephmcmath: How are there people in this world who have no dreams.no goals,and no hope?”

OWS "Wants" Debunked

I want to briefly discuss the Occupy Wall Street movement "wants" and after this it's a dead issue for this class.  First of all, in terms of ideology the OWS movement and the GFY Method are polar opposites.  OWS desires the greater good of the masses while the GFY Method focus on the good of the individual.  That "want" in it of itself should point any knowledgable individual to which ideology is pragmatic and realistic.  Not only is OWS ideology straight out of the movies, but consider a world full of individuals driven and hungry to succeed.  Collectively these individuals could push our race to unimaginable feats because of the deep desire to achieve success through preparation, dedication, and ACTION.  Nothing wrong with that if you ask me.  Oh and in case anyone missed my enfaces on ACTION then listen up.  Action is what drives a GFYer ... add to that the "love yourself" mentality and my money is on that guy for sure. 

 On the other hand we have the OWS people.  What exactly do they really want and believe in?  OWS people believe in an utopian world where peace, harmony, fairness, and equality is the rule of the land.  Decisions are made collectively for the greater good of the people of the world.  Yes in theory and on paper it all sounds good, but OWS forgets the most important opponent of such a world.  HUMAN NATURE.  As great as the ideology sounds it is up against this force that isn't easily controlled or tamed.  Human nature focuses on survival at any cost.  Survival is a dynamic concept because each person survives differently.  Some people are happy with less while others want the world in their palm.  There is no happy medium and OWS doesn't seem to understand this concept.  

Now let's take a look at their demands (written by OWS) and I will quickly go through some in order to explain the flaw in their thinking.

We Envision: 

[1] a truly free, democratic, and just society; 

Nothing is fair or just in life.  

[2] where we, the people, come together and solve our problems by consensus; 

Agree with this statement, but not practical because some people just don't care.  Look at voting numbers.  

[3] where people are encouraged to take personal and collective responsibility and participate in decision making; 

OWS bringing up responsibility is questionable at best because of the representation they had on those lawns.  
 
[4] where we learn to live in harmony and embrace principles of toleration and respect for diversity and the differing views of others; 

Live in harmony and embrace toleration... I believe our country is very diverse and tolerant compared to other nations.  

[5] where we secure the civil and human rights of all from violation by tyrannical forces and unjust governments; [6] where political and economic institutions work to benefit all, not just the privileged few; 

Living on cloud 9 to believe that "ALL" should benefit instead of "FEW".  Think of this.... You start a company to be your own boss and be in control of your income.  Decisions must be made daily on how to run this company to benefit YOU otherwise the company will go under.  Everyone will not be happy with the decisions made, yet if they are beneficial to your companies future then that's final.  What is so hard to understand about that concept?  The risk taker can make whatever decisions are necessary to survive.

[7] where we provide full and free education to everyone, not merely to get jobs but to grow and flourish as human beings; 

Once again, if this was a movie it would sound great.  Full and free education?  Let's be honest about this point... if everyone was a doctor, lawyer, accountant then who would do the dirty jobs that are necessary to run the world?  This world needs people not to succeed and excel in life.  If you don't agree with that point then look at the demand in financial terms.  Who will pick up the tab for the faculty, facilities, and equipment needed to run these institutions correctly?   

[8] where we value human needs over monetary gain, to ensure decent standards of living without which effective democracy is impossible; 

Human needs - water, food, shelter, sex.  All achievable with any low paying job.  Now if you want to move up a few levels and have nice things then the wallet has to open.  Not a hard concept to most, but the OWS people are having a hard time with that.  Decent standards of living ... even the OWS people can make me laugh at times.  If any OWS person had the chance to visit some other third world country and see the standards of living there then I believe the blinders would come off.  

[9] where we work together to protect the global environment to ensure that future generations will have safe and clean air, water and food supplies, and will be able to enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature that past generations have enjoyed.

Can't argue with that, but what OWS forgets is that the US is a lot more environmentally conscious than most other nations on this planet.  I think it's time for the OWS people to get off our lawns and head to China and see what the chinese think about our planet.  

Disclaimer - I have inserted a last point because I think OWS forgot to put it on their list.

[*10*] We want free handouts and the people that have a lot should give it to us.  It's not fair that we made the wrong choices in life and that we aren't hungry enough to succeed.  I care about my fellow man instead of caring about ME!

Ok so I made that up, but that's about the gist of their message.  I believe the OWS movement has solidified some ideas in everyone's mind... Life is cruel and unfair.  There are winners and losers in every aspect of life.  Love yourself enough to put yourself as #1.  Don't allow others to tread on you.   

Simplicity is #GFY

GFY Method is about going back to the basics, unloading the social and cultural baggage that keeps you from being the best and doing what's best for yourself. The baggage is acquired as we progress through life, to the point where it becomes an impediment and a liability. Here is what Steve Jobs had to say about simplicity:

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. When you start looking at a problem, it seems really simple—because you don’t understand its complexity. And your solutions are way too oversimplified, and they don’t work. Then you get into the problem and you see it’s really complicated. And you come up with all these convoluted solutions. That’s where most people stop, and the solutions tend to work for a while. But the really great person will keep going and find the key underlying principle of the problem and sort of come full circle with a beautiful, elegant solution that works. And that’s what we wanted to do with Mac.”

(Wired Magazine, November 2011)

Putin is a GFY member "Ironically, it took the authoritarian Putin era to create what could credibly called a middle class, whose real incomes rose 142 per cent in the decade from 1999-2009. http://ping.fm/7QyRb"

Obama is a GFY member GFY Method "The President and the Generals: http://nyti.ms/s0A1Ct"

Definitely not a GFY'er.  Begging and boasting are not GFY.

http://ping.fm/lCEk9

Survival of the fittest, that is the law of the land. GFY'ers are the ones that eat and survive. Would you survive? GFY GFY Method "Polar Bear Eats Cub: Cannibalism May Be On The Rise" (GRAPHIC PHOTOS) http://huff.to/v0TCQA via @huffingtonpost

This Christmas, give yourself the gift of a new life by becoming a GFY Student. Be prepared to survive and free yourself from the past.

OWS Protests Observations

In talking to some Occupy LA protesters last weekend I came to realize how futile this resistance movement is. At best, the Occupy Wall Street movement will achieve superficial reforms, not the long lasting changes sought by the protesters. The movement will fail to accomplish its goals for the following reasons:

1. Unfocused message – the movement has too many issues bundled together (ex. , close corporate tax loopholes, End the Fed, end the wars, bank foreclosures, student loans, etc)
2. No leadership – as one protester told me, “it's an organic movement”
3. No plan of action – the protesters plan to camp out indefinitely until the desired change is achieved

Beaten like dogs, the OWS protesters hope to change the world and current power structure and do it in a peaceful way. A short conversation with one of the sharper OWS protesters highlights the thinking and mode of action of the movement (shortened for the sake of space):

(me) If I didn't know what this movement is about, I would not be able to tell by all of these different signs.
(ows) The OWS movement is about a lot of things. The most important are: holding the people/institutions responsible for causing the latest recession accountable, putting in place legislation that ensures these things don't happen again, and limiting corporate influence in the affairs of the government among other things.
(me) Good stuff, I can't argue with that. Who is the leader of the Occupy LA movement?
(ows) There is no leader, this is a grassroots movement.
(me) No leader? I can't recall a movement that changed the world that did not have a leader. Do you know of one?
(ows) This movement will grow organically. It is like in nature.
(me) Hmm. Nature is brutal. It is the survival of the fittest.
(ows) Nature is harmonious. We are all one.
(me) When was the last time you saw a lion hug an antelope?
(ows) Our movement is grassroots...leaders will emerge over time.
(me) Protesting the rules won't change a thing. Rules are not for everyone.
(ows) No one is above the law! Why should it be?
(me) It's been like that since the beginning of history. The big fish always eat the small fish, to use an example from nature. The big fish making the laws will never be eaten by the small fish following the laws.
(ows) This is a democracy though! We have a right to vote and express our opinions.
(me) Yes, you do. This is a democracy. In this democracy, you have the wolves and the sheep sitting at the table every day voting on what's for dinner. Can you guess?
(ows) Well, the founding fathers never intended for this kind of corruption and greed to take place in this country. Government and banks and corporations working hand in hand to screw the little guy.
(me) Greed is human nature. Human nature is to want more, to be faster, stronger, bigger. Laws try to curb the human nature. We've institutionalized morality in order to curb human nature, however that works only to a degree. Humans will be humans. Lions will be lions. Antelopes will be antelopes. It's a big jungle, and the strongest survive. The sooner you accept it the better.
(ows) Well, we choose to use nonviolent resistance to change the world. Just like Martin Luther King, Jesus, etc.
(me) And, tell me, what happened to MLK?
(ows) What happened to MLK?
(me) Yea, what happened to MLK?
(ows) He was assasinated.
(me) And Jesus?
(ows) Sentenced to death.
(me) Both were killed. Why? Human nature. Think about that for a minute. Good luck to you all.

Change/progress can happen, and it is not by accident. The OWS protesters are delusional in thinking that the political establishment will give up power benevolently. As Frederick Douglass said:

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

How then, can the protesters change the situation?  Become GFY Students and learn the GFY Method.  More on that in the next blog. 

Be Abnormal

Lesson #4


Now that you have an overall sense of what the GFY Method is all about let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this mentality.  Plain and simple, GFY requires a fundamental change in thinking.  No quick fixes through this method sorry ladies and gents.  The masses (sheep) just think, and GFYers think DIFFERENTLY.  That little change is the difference between being average or great, but is there a measuring stick for being average or great?  Socially and economically one could say the stick is transparent in terms of dollar signs, but if that was 100% true then rich people wouldn’t have any problems.  The difference between being average and great is the choice a person makes and it begins with their attitude and thinking.  Compound that with perseverance and loving challenges and you got the magic elixir.  It’s as simple as that.  Most people chase “normalcy” which is only being average, and also not GFY.    

Let’s take a look at what being an average American really means and see if that’s important to strive for.  Divorced, overweight, and chemically depended (nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, medicine) to name a few negatives.  Yes people that’s the average I didn’t make this stuff up, but let’s not focus on the results completely, but instead on the why this has become the norm.  As kids we all had dreams of becoming astronauts, super heroes, the President of United States, professional athletes, and so on.  As we grew older we succeeded and failed at many things because of choices and circumstances which in turn mapped the course of our existence both negatively and positively.  Once adulthood is reached, our life’s blueprint becomes the roadmap to our very end.  It is very hard to amend this blueprint/roadmap because our thinking was also shaped by the past and that is the biggest culprit that most don’t acknowledge.  Our attitude and thinking throughout life created a lens which life is seen through, which in turn created a reality that most people believe cannot be altered.  Reality can most certainly be changed through the correct means, but the “common wisdom” habits do not work which in turn makes people revert back to their hopeless reality.  What “common wisdom” habits am I talking about?  Working hard, goal setting, reducing stress are a few, but I will get into these in my next lesson.  Failure to implement these so called “positive” habits has a yoyo affect that drains people of energy and breaks their confidence even more.  This cycle of chasing normalcy never ends because people try to go from poor to average throughout their life.   I wouldn’t wish this “normal” on my worse enemies. 

Now let me ask you… why would anyone want to be average(normal)?   GFY pushes a person to want to be great… to be abnormal.  William James, American psychologist and philosopher, once said “people by in large become what they think of themselves.”  Once again we get back to the THINK topic.  What you think and what you desire out of life is what ends up happening.  We decide how we think, how to feel, and how to act.  Plan your thoughts and control your attitude to perform at the highest level.  The reason control of emotions and thoughts is so important to the GFY method is because the energy is felt by everyone around you not just yourself.  More doors open with a positive attitude than a negative one… write it down people it’s true.  GFY is all about taking responsibility for past actions and realizing that only through responsibility, correct thinking, and correct actions is success possible.  Normalcy just doesn’t work… Look at all the fads and quick fixes.  The reason they fail and fade is because people put the positive outcome expectancy on the diet, book, pill, foods, etc.  “If it doesn’t work then it’s not MY fault”…. You get my drift.  Not only until a person takes the responsibility to make a fundamental change in their life will it have positive and lasting effects.  Fundamental change happens through meaning…whatever that might be for every individual.  If it’s meaningful enough then the change will stick. It’s not about quick fixes and answers but instead it’s about thinking clearly and acting differently.  Being abnormal is GFY.